03/28/2017 05:30 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

            HB  13-NO ST. FUNDS FOR FEDERAL REGISTRY                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
5:35:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  announced that the first  order of business                                                               
would be HOUSE  BILL NO. 13, "An Act  prohibiting the expenditure                                                               
of state or  municipal assets to create a registry  based on race                                                               
or religion."  [Before the committee,  adopted as a work draft on                                                               
2/18/17, was  the proposed committee  substitute (CS) for  HB 13,                                                               
Version 30-LS0147\J,  Martin, 1/26/17,  hereafter referred  to as                                                               
Version J.]                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
5:35:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON,  testifying on HB 13  as prime sponsor,                                                               
referred  to  AS  44.99.040,  entitled   "Limitation  on  use  of                                                               
assets", which  lists efforts for  which Alaska does not  wish to                                                               
contribute assets,  including the REAL  ID Act of 2005  and other                                                               
efforts that might  infringe on Alaska's due process  rights.  He                                                               
maintained that  the proposed legislation  would add  a provision                                                               
declaring that  Alaska will  not have a  registry based  on race,                                                               
religion, national origin, or ethnicity.   He opined that Version                                                               
J  is  a  tempered  and   modest  bill;  it  does  not  reference                                                               
"sanctuary city"  or enforcement  of federal  immigration orders;                                                               
and  it is  consistent with  statements made  by the  legislature                                                               
after  [the  terrorist  attacks  of  September  11,  2001].    He                                                               
explained that  Representative David Guttenberg  introduced House                                                               
Joint  Resolution   22  during  the  Twenty-Third   Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  2003-2004,  declaring  that  the  state  would  not                                                               
participate in efforts  by the federal government  to collect and                                                               
maintain  information about  political, religious,  social views,                                                               
and  associations.   He asserted  that Version  J supports  these                                                               
statements.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JOSEPHSON  noted  that  during  the  House  State                                                               
Affairs  Standing Committee  meeting  of 2/18/17,  Representative                                                               
Birch  asked  about  "benign" registries  that  Alaska  currently                                                               
maintains, such as  those relating to health  or social services,                                                               
which contain  information on race.   He asserted that  "race" is                                                               
not the sole  reason for any of those registries.   He maintained                                                               
that  under Version  J,  a registry  may not  be  based on  race,                                                               
religion, or national origin.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
5:39:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  TUCK  stated  that he  appreciates  the  proposed                                                               
legislation;   so  much   of  an   individual's  information   is                                                               
nationalized  and  privatized;  and   registries  should  not  be                                                               
created to  "single out" people based  on religion and race.   He                                                               
mentioned that  the Minnesota Senate  voted down its REAL  ID Act                                                               
because of  a concern for  Muslims being identified  and tracked.                                                               
He suggested  that the proposed  legislation addresses  this same                                                               
concern by attempting to prevent a registry based on religion.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
5:41:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL  moved to report  the proposed CS for  HB 13,                                                               
Version  30-LS0147\J,  Martin,  1/26/17, out  of  committee  with                                                               
individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  zero  fiscal                                                               
note.  There  being no objection, CSHB 13(STA)  was reported from                                                               
the House State Affairs Standing Committee.